Don Draper is a character that could only exist in fiction: impossibly handsome, endlessly talented, and crippled by alcoholism and other impulse-control problems. VICE was curious to see if there was any truth behind Mad Men protagonist, and that’s how we found George Lois.

A leader of the Creative Revolution, Lois helped create the campaign “I Want My MTV,” and make companies like Xerox, Jiffy Lube, and Tommy Hilfiger household names. He also designed 92 iconic covers for Esquire. Lois is often referred to as an inspiration for Don Draper, but there are stark differences between the two. Here’s his story.